Bertha McCarthy

Bertha McCarthy was a woman with such a beautiful spirit, an inner glow that radiated to all those around her. She was an incredibly caring, compassionate lady, who devoted her life to taking care of those in need. Bertha was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend, a nurse by trade and an example by choice. Today the love she gave and the example she set, lives on in all who knew her.

Bertha's story began on a cold fall day in 1921, as the leaves left the trees in Chisholm, Minnesota, north of Duluth. Those were times of change in this country, as newly-elected President Warren Harding promised the American people a "return to normalcy" after the hardships of World War I and the start of the Prohibition era. On November 10, 1921, Charles and Ida (Erickson) Lukone celebrated the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Bertha Charlotte.

Bertha and older brother, Vertone, grew up in the family's Chisholm home, where they enjoyed a wonderful childhood. She and her mother were especially close, and Bertha had so many fond memories of helping her mom at their church banquets. Her mom was a cook and bakery chef at a resort in northern Minnesota, and proudly passed her talents on to her daughter. They also enjoyed sharing so many fun times together as a family at Long Lake over the years.

Bertha attended Chisholm public schools, and when she was at Chisholm High School, she became very active, using her natural vocal gifts in the school choirs. In 1938, she also met a handsome young classmate named Thomas McCarthy, and the sparks flew between them. They began dating, before long they were high school and lifelong sweethearts. They were so close even at the end.

The couple dated the rest of high school, and after Bertha graduated she headed off to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where she began studying to become a nurse. She and Tom continued dating, though soon the couple was separated by World War II, as Tom was in the Navy.

Bertha graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in Public Health, and RN, registered nurse. She soon took a job as a school nurse in Two Harbors, Minnesota, on the shores of Lake Superior.

At the start of 1945, as the war was entering its final push, Tom was preparing to ship out overseas. So Bertha traveled to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she married her longtime sweetheart on February 15, 1945, at the priest's rectory. They had a brief honeymoon in Pittsburgh before he shipped out, and she returned as school nurse in Two Harbors, MN and there awaited Tom's safe return.

When the couple reunited they moved to Michigan where Tom had a job awaiting him at Detroit Diesel. They soon purchased a home in Dearborn where they raised their five children, Kathleen, Mary, Patricia, Tom and David. Bertha was an incredible wife and mother, who delighted in caring for and nurturing her family. She was also an amazing cook, a magician in the kitchen, just like her mother. Bertha made wonderful fresh bread, pies, cookies and donuts, which were always crowd-pleasers.

Of course, with five children and a hungry husband, Bertha was always cooking! The children had fresh cookies waiting for them when they came home from school, or when friends came to visit.

Bertha converted to Catholicism in Detroit, at the Cathedral, no less, and began singing in the choirs in Dearborn. She loved the music and the friendships developed while a choir member.

Incredibly for a woman with five kids, Bertha bravely went back to work as a school nurse, helping save money to provide for her children's college educations, which was so important to her. It wasn't easy being a school nurse in those days, and her job was especially challenging because she was shared among many schools in the Lincoln Park district, and later the Taylor School District.

But Bertha loved helping people more than anything, and in addition to her school nurse job, she also found time to teach CPR and was a Red Cross volunteer. Bertha's mothering reflected the essence of her being. She was gentle, sweet, caring, and giving, and always saw the good in people and the beauty around her.

As busy as she was at home and work, Bertha always made time for her family, and they were a very close-knit clan. When the children were young, they enjoyed going for long drives, evening "Pajama rides" or out for root beer floats, but they also made their yearly summertime trips back to Minnesota to visit family. They also went to Georgia as a family, to visit Daisy and Charles' "farm" many times over the years.

After Bertha and Tom retired in 1976, at the age of 56, she and her beloved husband Tom moved to Traverse City. She again joined the church choir and made a great many new friends. Bertha and Tom began to travel. Did they ever! They crisscrossed the country, visiting 49 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. They also loved enjoying the Great Outdoors, and went on long hikes through the woods or on the beach, and cross-country skiing in the wintertime, even packing a lunch for a picnic along the way. Bertha loved those times, so full of peace and tranquility, together with her beloved husband and best friend whom she adored.

Bertha had many hobbies of her own from listening to her favorite big band music, to watching political talk shows, to sewing and gardening. Bertha truly had a green thumb and would bring in fresh flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables from her garden for dinner and also canned her share of fruits, vegetables and delicious jams over the years.

Most of all, Bertha loved her wonderful family, and the births of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were some of the happiest, proudest moments of her life. She adored all her children and was wonderful with all children. She could elicit the very first "coo" from a grandchild and was a fun grandma, too, dancing the boogie woogie and jitterbug with her granddaughter.

Bertha and Tom moved to Freedom Village in Holland in 1995, where they embraced their new community and became members of the Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. Eventually, Bertha's health began to decline, and in August 2007 she moved to the Inn at Freedom Village, where she passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2008, at the age of 86.

Bertha was a wonderful woman, who lived a wonderful life, a life devoted to caring for all those around her. She was an intelligent, vibrant, and compassionate woman, who saw the beauty in the world and the people around her. Bertha was a caring nurse by trade, and a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, too. Most of all, she was a great example, and a great gift to all who knew her. She will be so greatly missed.

Bertha is survived by her husband Thomas of 63 years; Children-Kathleen and Lee Schutzman of St. Augustine, FL, Mary and Bill Pine of Plymouth, Patricia McCarthy of St. Johns, Tom McCarthy of Cheshire, CT, and David McCarthy of Vienna, VA; 10 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren; sister-in-law-Mary Baker of Woodbury, MN; nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Memorial services will be held 11 am Thursday October 30, 2008 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 480 North 152nd Ave, with Father Phillip Nguyen officiating. No visitation is scheduled.

Memorial contributions may be made to Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church Memorial Fund, Hospice of Holland, or the Freedom Village Scholarship Fund.

Arrangements are by the Dykstra Life Story Funeral Homes-Downtown Chapel. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or photo of Bertha, or to sign her online guestbook.